Shoe-lace fastener.



C. M. PARTRIDGE. SHOE LACE FASTBNER. APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 21, 1909.

948,460. Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

CHRISTIE MAY PARTRIDGE, OF STERLING, COLORADO.

SHOE-LACE rAsTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent..

Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

Application led June 21, 1909. Serial No. 503,504.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTIE MAY PAR- 'IRIDGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sterling, in the county of Logan and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Lace Fasteners, of which the following is a specication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for fastening shoe laces and laces of other articles The object of the invention is to provide a simple, strong, durable and comparatively inexpensive device of this character in the form of a clasp which may be permanently attached to a shoe or the like or may be detached.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel features of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying` drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view showing the use of the invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device showing it open; Figs. 3 and 4 are longitudinal and transverse sectional views; Fig. 5 is a detail view showing an embodiment of the invention which is not designed for permanent attachment to the shoe; and Fig. G is a perspective view of one of the rein forcing wires.

In the drawings 1 denotes a portion of a shoe upper, 2 the usual lace for closing the same and 3 one of my improved lace fasteners or clasps. lVhen the invention is to be permanently attached to the shoe, I preferably employ two of the clasps and so con- `struct and arrange them that they serve as rho uppermost pair of eyelets for the lace 2. lach of these clasps consists of lower and upper members 4, 5 between which latter the .lace is held. Said members are preferably in the form of dished or concaved disks, the lower member 4 being, preferably, deeper and having at one or more points in the edge of its upturned rim or flange notches 6 for the lace 2. The upper member or cover 5 is connected to the lower member by a hinge and it is fastened in position when closed upon the lower member by means of a spring catch. Said hinge and catch are formed by suitably bending or shaping two or more reinforcing'wires which form parts of said members and strengthen their sheet metal portions. One of these wires is designated by the numeral 7 and extends entirely around the edge of the upper member 5, the edge of the latter being rolled around the wire, as clearly shown in the drawings. The central portion of the wire 7 is bent inwardly at the front edge of the member 5 to provide a spring catch projection S and the ends of said wire 7 are bent to form hinge eyes 9 which are disposed at the rear edge of said member and engaged with a pintle portion 10 of another wire 11 which reinforces the lower member 4. Said wire 1l extends partially around the edge of the member 4, which edge of the latter is rolled around the wire, as shown in the drawings. The wire 11 extends around the rear portion of the member 4 and the front edge of said member is bent over upon itself to reinforce such front portion of said member.

If desired, a keeper lip 12 may be struck from the front portion of the member 4 so as to be engaged by the spring catch projection 8, as shown in Fig. 4.

The center of the lower member 4 is flat and in it is formed an opening 13 for the lace 2 and a plurality of attaching prongs 14 are formed around the wall of said opening and are adapted to be bent to rivet or attach the device to the shoe upper 1, as shown at 15. If desired, however, the member 4 may be attached by a separate tubular ring or it may be attached in any other manner to the shoe orany other article having a laced closure. If desired, the lower member 4 may be made without attaching means, as shown in Fig'. 5, so that it may be readily carried in the pocket and used on shoe laces or laces of other articles when needed.

In using the invention, it will be seen that the ends of the laces 2 are brought through the openings 14 of the two clasps, then drawn together through the notches 6 in the lower members 4 and tied into a knot or bow and the loops and ends are then passed through the clasps and securely held between the two members 4, 5.

I-Iaving thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. A lace fastener comprising a lower Inember having a base port-ion with a central opening to receive a lace, and with a surrounding rim formed at opposite points with notches to receive portions of the lace, a dished upper member hinged to said rim at a point between the notches in said rim,

and a catch upon said upper member to en- .of the Wire on'the lower member and means l0 gage the rim at a `point diametrioally oppofor hoiding'said members together.

site said hinge. In testimony whereof I hereunto aiix my 2. A lace fastener comprising a lower signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

member a reinforcinr Wire thereon and pro- Y vided with a pntle pjortion, an upper mem- CHRISTIE MAY PARTRIDGE' ber, a reinforcing Wire extending around Witnesses:

the upper member and having its ends bent EARL M. SUTHERLAND,

to form eyes to engage said pintle portion C. W. GoDDARD. 

